The present invention relates to the cleaning of eyewear and more particularly to an improved, readily accessible device for the cleaning of eyewear such as glasses, sunglasses, ski goggles and the like.
Sunglasses are quite popular in today's society. They are worn for many reasons, including vision correction, style, general eye protection, sun protection and reduction in glare while driving or playing sports. A major problem that is encountered by persons who wear sunglasses is the fact that they become dirty or smudged and therefore require cleaning.
Many ways of cleaning sunglasses and other eyewear are known, but most methods are problematic for one reason or other. For instance, one way to clean sunglasses is to wash the sunglasses with water or a cleaner. Of course, this is a problem if you are not near a sink or a water supply, do not have soap or other cleaner, and do not have a towel or cloth to dry off the glasses. Moreover, for those who wear sunglasses and eyewear when engaged in outdoor activities, finding a sink or water to clean one's eyewear may be difficult.
More recently, many eyewear and sunglass retailers offer eyewear cleaning kits, which typically include a small spray bottle of liquid cleaner and a soft chamois. To keep these items together, a small pouch or case is often provided. While such cleaning kits work well to clean sunglasses and the like, other problems are created. For instance, one has to remember to take the cleaning kit whenever the glasses are worn. One also must have a place to store these items. Oftentimes, one may not have a pocket or be able to carry a pocketbook to hold these items. Moreover, one can easily lose the small bottle and/or cloth if they are left behind somewhere or fall out of a pocket or pocketbook.
It is easy to see how the problem of cleaning eyewear such as sunglasses becomes more acute in the area of sports. When engaged in outdoor sports where one desires to wear sunglasses, such as in soccer, tennis, cycling, volleyball, skiing, etc., there is a need to quickly and readily clean the glasses so as not to interrupt the sports activity. For example, when skiing or snowboarding, a skier's or snowboarder's goggles can become fogged or dirty from the snow and dirt. If the goggles are not readily cleaned, it reduces the wearer's ability to see the ski slopes and could lead to a dangerous situation. The same is true for other sports such as cycling. In these situations, one way to clean one's sunglasses or goggles is to use an article of clothing attached to one's body, such as the bottom of a shirt. This can be a problem, however, if the shirt is abrasive or of a material that does not readily clean the lenses. The dirt on the sunglasses can also cause problems by staining the shirt or other article of clothing being used to clean the sunglasses. A shirt can also become stretched out of shape during the cleaning process.